Oliewenhuis Art Museum is celebrating National Women’s Day on Saturday, 9 August 2025, as a reminder of the important contributions women make to society, as well as a time to ponder the advances in women’s rights. This annual public holiday commemorates an eventful day in South Africa’s history – 9 August 1956, when around 20,000 women marched to the Union Buildings in Pretoria to protest certain proposed amendments to the pass laws or Urban Areas Act of 1950, showing immense courage and strength.
Anyone and everyone is invited to join us at Oliewenhuis Art Museum from 9:00 – 16:00 in celebration of this special day. Wander through and enjoy the three solo- exhibitions by female artists, and an exhibition, On the arm of every woman, especially curated for Women’s Day. Attend the two informal and informative walkabouts at 13:00 and 14:00.
You’re are also welcome to prepare a delightful picnic, soak up the sun in the front garden, take a leisurely stroll through the Sculpture Park or the walking trails before or after enjoying the exhibitions and walkabouts. For the little ones, there’s the unique African Carousel, offering rides for just R5 each, ensuring that everyone has a memorable and enjoyable experience.
Exhibitions and walkabouts to enjoy:
On the arm of every woman…
9 August – 16 November 2025, 1st floor of Main Building
13:00: Walkabout presented by the curators, Sudré Havenga (HOD, Collections Management and Library Department), Ester le Roux, (Curator, Oliewenhuis Art Museum) and Yolanda De Kock (Acting Project Manager, ArtbankSA).
The exhibition, curated in celebration of Women’s Day, was inspired by the exquisite collection of vintage handbags from the Collections Management and Library Department at the National Museum.
Different Departments of the National Museum, Bloemfontein, collaborated to curate an exhibition that is on show at Oliewenhuis Art Museum. This exciting amalgamation of artworks and beautifully made artefacts, curated by three female curators, was mindfully selected from the art collections of the Oliewenhuis Art Museum, Art Bank of South Africa and textiles from the Collections Management and Library Department.
On the arm of every woman, explores how a simple accessory, the handbag (and many other things ‘on the arms of women’), came to carry the weight of identity, independence, and social change.
One thing leads to another, a solo exhibition by Bronwen Findlay
26 July – 17 August 2025, Ground Floor, Main Building
14:00: Walkabout presented by the artist Bronwen Findlay.
“I try to find beauty in things which might seem insignificant or not of great importance, the ordinary or every day. I have painted domestic objects, which may be loaded with cultural connotations – a willow-patterned piece of crockery from my grandmother, enamel tin plates and mugs bought from trading stores. Textiles and cloth have also played an important role in my work – I was influenced by the embroidery and beadwork created by women from the Limpopo province and for a time beaded my paintings with dots of paint. Colour and decoration have always been an important aspect of my painting. This decorative manipulation of paint may also be seen in my more recent paintings of South African flora and fauna – while these works are hardly botanical, I hope that they capture a different reality.” – Bronwen Findlay
what remains through time, slowness and stillness, a decolonising collaborative exhibition by Sonya Rademeyer with community and more-than-human-kin as epistemic partners.
15 July – 24 August 2025, Reservoir
As a visual and performing artist Sonya Rademeyer is interested in exploring notions of deep-empathy. Her explorations around empathy requires deep-listening which connects her to concepts of entanglement, fragility and complexities. She grapples with the relationship between empathy and whiteness viewed from a post-colonial perspective, looking for ways to open discussions around forgiveness, social cohesion and transformation which inevitably leads her to address complicated content. She has a very collaborative approach and collaborators for this exhibition include: Mme Mary Sebabatso Mofama and Dr Anita Venter, co-founders of Roodewal Meraka, with Lenosa Mahapang. The long term intention for the Meraka project is to create a world-class regenerative knowledge exchange hub (Meraka), where a variety of living heritages activities are taught and performed.
Soliloquy: the untold story of Sleeping Beauty’s dreams – a solo exhibition by Lisa Ledwick
15 July – 24 August 2025, Annex Gallery
‘This body of work takes the form of a re-vision of the fairy tale “Sleeping Beauty” by Charles Perrault (1634) and as such is imbued with universal archetypes that speak to the collective unconscious of humanity. These archetypes, along with symbolic imagery, are used as a springboard in my work to communicate a personal story which takes form visually. Like fairy tales, the artworks are meant to act as a catalyst to engage with the viewer and ‘create a space’ for internal questioning and evaluation. As such, this work offers the viewer an opportunity for psychological reflection which is timeless.’ – Lisa Ledwick
Learning through Art: The museum as classroom
16 May – 7 December 2025, 1st floor of Main Building
This exhibition is a visual celebration of South African artists and artworks for everyone to enjoy, with a special focus on the Grade 10 – 12 Visual Art curriculums. Carefully chosen artworks will enhance the learning experience for students, allowing them to delve into art beyond their textbooks and engage with it first-hand. The museum will transform into an interactive classroom, offering teachers and learners the opportunity to explore, engage with, and analyse these captivating artworks. The exhibition is curated from Oliewenhuis Art Museum’s Permanent Collection.
Oliewenhuis Art Museum is located at 16 Harry Smith Street, Bloemfontein and is open to the public from Monday to Friday between 08:00 and 17:00, and on Saturdays, Sundays, and public holidays between 09:00 and 16:00. A ramp at the entrance of the main entrance provides access for wheel chairs, while a lift provides access to the Permanent Collection display areas on the 1st floor. R10 parking fee will be charged but entrance to the museum is free.
For more information on Oliewenhuis Art Museum please contact the Museum at 078 968 4300 or oliewen@nasmus.co.za. Stay up to date by following Oliewenhuis Art Museum on Facebook, Instagram and X for all upcoming exhibitions and events.
